The year is 1964, and you've just gotten yourself a Ferrari 275 GTS and set out to drive it with an open top all the way home, stopping at a little bakery to pick up sweets as you enjoy the wind in your hair and the sun on your skin. Built as a grand touring convertible version of the Ferrari 275 GTB, the Ferrari 275 GTS shared most of its underbody components with the hardcore road racer, so it was undoubtedly no underperformer. Since the 275 GTB was made in limited production numbers, buyers felt more inclined to buy the Ferrari 275 GTS. Beyond offering an open-air driving experience, the Ferrari 275 GTS embodied a lifestyle transcending the simple yet pleasing act of lowering the roof. It was built with GT car comforts in the interior and an exterior designed and built by Pininfarina, which speaks volumes of the Ferrari 275 GTS' luxury and high-performance engineering. Cocooned underneath that stunning body is a Tipo 3.3-liter V12, which made a good 260 horsepower during production. But the Ferrari 275 GTS's sauce is in the transmission, which we'll tell you about in a bit after we tell you how much it will cost to add this piece of Automotive and Ferrari history to your collection. Ferrari built fewer Ferrari 275 GTSs than GTBs, which would automatically mean that the GTS is slightly higher priced, but that's not the case. Expert valuers estimate the Ferrari 275 GTS's average value to be $1,500,000. It's a stratospheric price tag, but it's lower than the Ferrari 275 GTB's value, which is estimated to be around $500,000 higher than the Ferrari 275 GTS's value. How many Ferrari 275 GTSs did Ferrari make? Read on to find out.
The Ferrari 275 GTS was unveiled alongside the 275 GTB in October as a more GT-oriented car and a convertible aimed at offering buyers the thrill of open-air road driving that a few select Ferraris had previously offered. Early open-roof Ferraris, such as the Ferrari 166 MM, were mostly race cars with open roofs with no fabric or hard tops, a design that reduced weight and was more aerodynamic. Also, like today's F1 cars, open-roof race cars provided easy entry and exit to the car since these cars mainly were raced in endurance races requiring a change of drivers every couple of laps. Ferrari's shift to making more road cars meant installing roofs on customer cars but still made open-top racers. The two designs combined led to soft top convertibles such as the Ferrari 212 Export Vignale Cabriolet, 250 GT SWB Spyder, 250 GT Cabriolet, and the Ferrari 275 GTS, the primary subject forming the core focus of this article. It debuted with mechanicals and engineering similar to the Ferrari 275 GTB, with only minor differences mainly centered around the performance and buyer options during production time. The 200 Ferrari 275 GTS units were bodied by Pininfarina at the factory in Turin and completed at Ferrari's Factory in Maranello, Italy. Production ended in 1966 after two years of the Ferrari 275 GTS dominating the convertible sports car market. It was discontinued partly due to U.S emission standards that brought several Ferraris, such as the Ferrari 275 GTB cars, to discontinuation.
The air in the 1960s must have been better, considering what we experience today. In Italy, it was characterized mainly by the scent of vineyards on country roads and the inviting aroma of freshly baked pastries when driving in towns. Imagine experiencing all these in the Ferrari 275 GTS that could take you from the vineyards with a crate of bottles of wine in the trunk and a 260 horsepower and 217 lb.ft 2.0-liter V12 powerful enough to allow you to stop at the bakery and pick up a Ricotta cake before heading home and making it in time for that year's Leman's race. Yes, the Ferrari 275 GTS was that good, and one of the reasons why is the transmission. Ferrari upgraded the manual transmission to a 5-speed in the Ferrari 275 GTS, which was smoother and more responsive than the 4-speed used in the 250 series. It's estimated that during its time, the Ferrari 275 GTS could do 0-60 mph in 6.5 seconds, and we can't deduce if that's with an open or closed roof, but that's not the point. Of course, it's a Ferrari and is expected to be fast, but the Ferrari 275 GTS weight significantly contributes to its quick 0-60 time and 150-mph top speed. It weighs 2,540 pounds, over 300 pounds lighter than the 275 GTB.
.webp)
The 1960s saw Ferrari adopt a more luxurious design in their GT cars and some race cars, using as much leather, wood, and chrome bits as possible. In the Ferrari 275 GTS, buyers got incredibly comfortable leather seats with contours that increase comfort and bolstering, adding lower body support to complement the seat shoulders on the backrest that hold the upper body. The passenger seat was designed to accommodate two passengers, but Ferrari dropped the 'twin passenger seat' for a conventional two-seat arrangement. Taking the luxurious aesthetic of the Ferrari 275 GTS up a notch, Ferrari used a wood veneer dashboard, which was the first time they were doing so since the dashboard was steel or steel covered with leather in most older models. Intricately designed gauges remained an integral part of the Ferrari 275 GTS's interior, as with most early Ferrari models, all functional, displaying a wealth of information to the driver. Today, such gauges are known to add a classic luxurious touch to a car's interior, and manufacturers will charge a pretty penny to add one or several of them on the dashboard. Normalties by today's standards but revolutionary and rarities during the cultural decades, Ferrari installed air conditioning and a radio in the Ferrari 275 GTS as they did with most of their cars produced in the 1960s. However, the radio, installed on the passenger side of the dashboard, was optional. If it was not specified, a Pininfarina logo plate was fitted instead.
Coming from a long, pre-existing partnership with Ferrari, Pininfarina was the sole designer and coachbuilder for the Ferrari 275 GTS. It adopts a styling that most Ferraris and cars that most cars from the 1960s had but with an added touch of Pininfarina's distinctive touch that leaves an indelible mark on the Ferrari 275 GTS. At the front, it has an egg crate grille and circular headlights with considerably larger turn signals underneath each headlight. Chrome was used extensively in most 1960s Ferraris, and the Ferrari 275 GTS is no exception. It has chrome coatings on the sill strips, badges, wipers, exhaust tips, headlight and taillight surrounds, bumper bars, door handles, and window surrounds. Shark fin-like vents on the front quarter panel give the Ferrari 275 GTS a subtle, aggressive look, but in addition to that, they help cool the engine by venting hot air away from the engine bay. Wire wheels with chrome wheel spinners finish off the Ferrari 275 GTS look, exemplifying elegance and aesthetics. Pininfarina made the doors, trunk and hood out of aluminum to minimize weight, which counters the weight from the steel used to construct the Ferrari 275 GTS shell.
In the Ferrari 275 GTS, Ferrari slightly modified the chassis to allow the placement of the transmission in the rear, and it's more than a transmission. It's a transaxle that combines the 5-speed synchromesh manual transmission and a differential. The transmission handles the gear changes and power distribution while the differential transfers power to the rear wheels. That aside, by combining the transmission and differential, the transaxle helps improve weight distribution, thus improving balance and handling. The Ferrari 275 family, including the Ferrari 275 GTS, were the Ferraris to feature an independent rear suspension that replaced the live axle rear suspension in older models. Being rear-wheel-drive, the independent rear suspension helped improve ride quality, handling and stability in the Ferrari 275 GTS.
While its 1.5-million-dollar value today may seem excessive, the Ferrari 275 GTS mirrors the rarity and excellence of this automotive marvel. Its rarity plays a major part in its value as Ferrari only built 200 of them, making the Ferrari 275 GTS one of the most sought-after Ferraris. Monied enthusiasts and collectors are always searching for such cars, and within no time the Ferrari 275 GTS will hit the 2 million dollar mark, so there's no better time to buy one than now. If you're in the market for a Ferrari 275 GTS, you might find one listed on Exotic Car Trader, so ensure you watch out for our Ferrari listings. Also, we list all sorts of classic cars, so give us a call if any of Exotic Car Trader's classic car listings entice you.
Designed for driving pleasure, the Ferrari 275 GTS was the car to buy during its time. It's a convertible, has excellent performance and, most importantly, handling. What more could you want? It also encapsulates an era where elegance, performance and pioneering technology converged, paving the way for other Ferrari convertibles, and Ferrari has made plenty of them over the years. Exotic Car Trader creates an exclusive and safe way of buying and selling cars, eliminating the daunting experiences of private selling for buyers and sellers. Every vehicle listed on Exotic Car Trader goes through a private seller verification process, ensuring legitimacy for our buyers. Also, Exotic Car Trader's car buying process is well outlined, with all fees and packages providing our buyers with a seamless and inclusive experience. We can handle the escrow of funds at no additional cost to the buyer and seller, and we also provide trade-in and financing options for buyers. For transaction safety, our Transactions Team is world-class and equipped with industry fraud detection tools to ensure a safe and secure transaction. These are just some of the benefits you enjoy when buying or selling on Exotic Car Trader. Contact us for listing services or to buy a car on Exotic Car Trader today!
Exotic Car Trader is the fastest growing marketplace built specifically for automotive enthusiasts. Click below to learn how you can sell your car with us.
LEARN MORE
